Thunderstorms pose high risks for landings,
departing and flying aircraft. This collaborative research effort between
the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Alabama in
Huntsville (UAH), the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR),
and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is to incorporate
satellite-derived information into systems designed to nowcast atmospheric
convection and its first-time initiation. Developing improved means of
monitoring and characterizing convective clouds to nowcast convection
initiation is a key goal. Data sets currently being processed include
GOES visible, infrared and sounder-based satellite imagery (from GOES-10
and GOES-12). Future work will involve the use of MODIS, MSG and eventually
GIFTS imagery.

This work supports a component of the NASA Advanced Satellite Aviation
Products (ASAP) initiative with the primary focus of improving aviation
safety through the use of satellite-based products. This project supports
the National Convective Weather Diagnostic Forecast Product developed
in part by the NCAR Convective and Oceanic Weather Product Development
Teams (PDTs), as operated by the FAA. The plan at CIMSS and UAH is to
process several types of satellite information into "Interest Fields" and "Pattern
Fields" that can be used to describe convective initiation across
large geographical regions.

This work is supported by the NASA New Investigator Program grant, NAG5-12536
and the NASA Advanced Satellite Aviation Products Initiative, 4400071484.